Author Topic: Saw Chains Are Brand Names That Much Better ? (Read 3095 times)

Gearbox · « **on:** February 06, 2018, 09:21:14 PM »

I have been on a Facebook site and it is like a oil thread . I am not trying to start a oil war . I have ran Oregon bars and chains most of my life mostly because of price and availability . Are other bars and chains twice as good for twice the money . My bars with a little dressing last so long that I can't remember when I last buy them . Our local Fleet Farm sells a 20 in. bar and chain combo for less than $ 50.00 . Even on my firewood processer chains seem to last for 50 or more cords on a chain if I stay out of dirty wood . I run a semi or full chisel .

thecfarm · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2018, 09:30:21 PM »

Sounds like to me you are doing just fine.
Beware,might be like some of them tractor guys,they had thier tractor for 10 years and never had a bit of trouble with it. Ask them how many hours,800.

Skeans1 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2018, 11:31:42 PM »

For myself the price of the higher quality bars pay out vs an Oregon but I'm a production faller running mainly 32" bars, normally I'd of bought 3 Oregon's for the price of the bar I'm running right now. Now the light weight Oregon bars have their place say at 36" where you can jump up a power head size and still run all day long without being beat.

mike_belben · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2018, 11:53:06 PM »

Ive steadily gotten less impressed with oregon 72LGX (i think?) full chisel chain. Have had 2 come out of the box with kinked links that wouldnt ever loosen, from overpressed pin i believe. Also i dunno if theyve gotten soften or ive gotten worse at staying out of the dirt.. I feel like they used to hold a better edge. Has the alloy or hardness changed?

Thinking about switching to stihl or mail ordering carlton/woodland pro stuff again.

HolmenTree · « **Reply #4 on:** February 07, 2018, 08:03:33 AM »

Quote from: Skeans1 on February 06, 2018, 11:31:42 PM

For myself the price of the higher quality bars pay out vs an Oregon but I'm a production faller running mainly 32" bars, normally I'd of bought 3 Oregon's for the price of the bar I'm running right now. Now the light weight Oregon bars have their place say at 36" where you can jump up a power head size and still run all day long without being beat.

For end-users making a living with a saw Stihl light bars have proven to be the best quality and durable guide bar.

Gearbox · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2018, 08:25:34 AM »

Ok how long are you getting out of the brand name VS Oregon . Skeans I can see with long bars you just can't get the oil to it . Running a 83 cc saw with a 20 inch bar the oil is dripping it is oiling so good set at 1/2 .

Skeans1 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2018, 10:05:40 AM »

Quote from: Gearbox on February 07, 2018, 08:25:34 AM

Ok how long are you getting out of the brand name VS Oregon . Skeans I can see with long bars you just can't get the oil to it . Running a 83 cc saw with a 20 inch bar the oil is dripping it is oiling so good set at 1/2 .

I'm running 32" sugihara light weight bars this is year 4 or 5 on them only had two tips fails otherwise rails like day one still.

Skeans1 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2018, 10:06:54 AM »

Quote from: Gearbox on February 07, 2018, 08:25:34 AM

Ok how long are you getting out of the brand name VS Oregon . Skeans I can see with long bars you just can't get the oil to it . Running a 83 cc saw with a 20 inch bar the oil is dripping it is oiling so good set at 1/2 .

Even with a 42" on a 390 they will oil just fine but most of the time the 36 or 32 with the oilers wide open will be dripping as well.

ButchC · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2018, 11:13:01 AM »

Quote from: Gearbox on February 06, 2018, 09:21:14 PM

My bars with a little dressing last so long that I can't remember when I last buy them .

Same experience here, but I have lots of saws and nonprofessional use. Sounds like you have no problems to fix

Personally I get along fine with Stihl ES and Oregon Power match and Prolite bars. But the pros put more hours on a saw in a month than I do in a year and find weaknesses much faster. My pet saw is a 036 Stihl that was one of the first ones sold by my dealer, I am thinking about 1990? It was my only saw for 10 years cutting up to 20 cords a year. It sees less use now since I got chainsaw acquisition disorder but still goes through a couple three chains a year because its a favorite . Anyway it is on it's 3rd bar and the 2nd one was cut short when it got pinched and bent, nothing to improve upon there. My experience is that most (but not all) who think they have a bar quality issue actually have other issues that are showing up as short bar life, even the consumer grade bars last on the consumer saws they are intended to be used on.

Dave Shepard · « **Reply #9 on:** February 07, 2018, 01:01:19 PM »

I'm faced with the same issue. My last 24" Husky bar barely made it two chains and now the groove is sloppy. The rails are still even. The saw, a 395xp, is definitely oiling. I have an adapter somewhere to run Stihl bars. Was thinking about trying that, unless there is an aftermarket bar just as good.

Skeans1 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 07, 2018, 03:18:14 PM »

Price wise and life wise I prefer sugihara bars the rails on the ones I have the rails still look new after a good share of use, one thing I really like about them is they're stiff enough to still pop an undercut out of a face. Another high quality bar has been the Cannon bars they're heavy and expensive but worth every penny, I have a 32, 42, 60 they've been great just heavy vs any other standard bar but for production use they last.

Gearbox · « **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2018, 05:34:55 PM »

When I get rolling with everything working right I make a 8 to 18 inch cut every 8 to 12 seconds . That goes on for a half a cord of wood .Reload and do it again . When I say my saw works hard I'm not kidding . Our local fleet Farm Just put in a new brand of bar & chains . I think its the same as Tractor Supply .

Al_Smith · « **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2018, 07:30:51 PM »

I haven't bought a new bar in decades .With the exception of the two Stihl 200T's no Stihl chain .Both the Stihl bars and chains I have are from salvage of my buddy's bucket truck tool boxes .His bunch of groundies are a little tough on them.Bend the bars ,try to cut rocks with the chains etc .I've gotten pretty good at repairing bars and spinning chains .That said Stihl makes a good product .Were I a professional that's what I would use .I'm not BTW .

ehp · « **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2018, 10:28:34 PM »

on my stihl's I use the good ES bar, we can buy 2 types here of ES bars and I use the one that's more money but saying that I can buy that good bar as cheap or cheaper than a Oregon bar . On my husky saws I use the sugihara bars just with another name on it . It a good bar as well

Al_Smith · « **Reply #14 on:** February 08, 2018, 07:46:03 PM »

Speaking of bars my goodness has the price jumped in the last several years .About as bad as motor oil .

Enderslbz · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2018, 06:15:15 AM »

I am in no way a professional, but I'm going to share my opinion anyways. I have been buying Stihl saws since I started buying saws. I've dabbled in some older Homelite stuff too, but I've all but given that up. So I've ended up with used Homelite bars, used Stihl bars, used Oregon bars, and some no-name stuff. Most of them were trashed. Almost every used saw I ever bought I had to throw the bar away. Except for the Stihl bars. I've only ever tossed one of those (into a box of used saw parts because I guess I thought for some reason I might use it again

) and that was the factory bar off my MS290 I bought in ~2001. That was my first saw and I made all the rookie mistakes. Overheated the bejesus out of it running a dull chain, pinched it who knows how many times, never flipped it till it was way too worn on the one side, etc. I switched that saw over to 3/8 so the stuff off my 031 would interchange (another rookie mistake), and that bar has been on it since. But when I thought I might sell that saw I wanted to put it back to stock pitch, so I pulled that bar out, cleaned it, filed the rails flat and re-installed it. I even took the original safety chain and sharpened it up and that thing cuts awesome. Now I may or may not have filed the actual "safety" portion of it off, but point is, even as trashed as I thought that Stihl bar was, it wasn't even that bad. I'm a firm believer in not fixing stuff that isn't broken, so for the amount of bars and chains I buy I stick with the Stihl ES bars and their full chisel chain. Unlike other chains I had to throw away because they stretch beyond the adjuster range, I can always sharpen the Stihl chain till they're completely gone before it gets to that point. And 3-4 strokes with a file is all it usually ever needs to be razor sharp again if you keep it out of the dirt and off the rocks. But I do notice guys that are really serious about their business usually run Sugihara lightweight stuff. Clearly it's worth the money.

Chop Shop · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2018, 02:26:19 PM »

I buy Stihl bars, chains n files.

A file will tell you who's chains do what.

I run two 066s and two 046s with long bars.

Also a Lucas slabber. So it seems I live my life attached to a chainsaw bar in one way or another!

Kwill · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2018, 03:18:36 PM »

Quote from: Gearbox on February 07, 2018, 05:34:55 PM

. Our local fleet Farm Just put in a new brand of bar & chains . I think its the same as Tractor Supply .

which fleet farm? I see you are in northern MN. Thief river falls?

Gearbox · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2018, 05:49:54 PM »

L & M they have 6 or 7 stores within 3 hours of us Main store is Grand Rapids MN . I live near there . Kwill how are you connected to the home of Arctic Cat.

Kwill · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2018, 06:12:37 PM »

Quote from: Gearbox on February 11, 2018, 05:49:54 PM

L & M they have 6 or 7 stores within 3 hours of us Main store is Grand Rapids MN . I live near there . Kwill how are you connected to the home of Arctic Cat.

I worked for a farmer over in north Dakota west of Oslo mn. Since 2009. Been to thief river a few times.

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Author Topic: Saw Chains Are Brand Names That Much Better ? (Read 3095 times)

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